The men’s basketball Final Four is returning to the Twin Cities — in the year 2001.

“Minnesota badly needs some good news,” said Gov. Arne Carlson, one of seven members of the committee that bid on Minnesota’s behalf.

The Twin Cities was one of five sites recommended by the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee for Final Four tournaments between 1998 and 2002. The recommendations were made to the NCAA Executive Committee, which is scheduled to act on them at a meeting Aug. 12-13 in Avon, Colo.

The 2001 tournament will be held at the Metrodome. The governor’s office announced the dates as March 31 and April 2, but sources at the NCAA said the dates are tentative.

Initially, the plan was to award the tournament for three years, through 2000. Sites already had been set through 1997. However, the selection committee was impressed with all five bids and extended the awards two years.

Other sites recommended are San Antonio in 1998; St. Petersburg, Fla., in 1999; Indianapolis in 2000; and Atlanta in 2002. Indianapolis also is host to the tournament in 1997.

“Second-tier cities are getting the big events,” Carlson said. “New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans are not attracting them. Second-tier cities have better facilities and a better quality of life.”

McKinley Boston, men’s athletic director at the University of Minnesota, estimated the economic impact on the area will be at least $50 million.

“Don’t forget we also have a regional tournament coming in 1996,” said Boston, a member of the bidding committee. “In addition, it is traditional to give the site of the Final Four a tuneup tournament the year before. So we can realistically expect a regional or early-round tournament in 2000.”

The NCAA women’s Final Four also will be held in the Twin Cities, on April 1-2, 1995, at Target Center.

The Metrodome was host to the 1992 Final Four and has been the site of one regional and two early-round events. Williams Arena hosted the Final Four in 1951.

Members of the bidding committee were concerned they wouldn’t receive a tournament. They pointed to strong presentations by the other cities, plus the recent glut of major sporting events in the Twin Cities, as factors that might work against them.

“I was fearful of not being taken seriously as a repeat bidder,” Boston said. “I thought maybe we could be perceived as overconfident. When I got the phone call from Bill Hancock (NCAA director of championships) at 9:30 (Thursday) morning, I was very relieved.”

The University of Minnesota is the official host of the 2001 Final Four. Jeff Schemmel of the athletic department has been assigned the role of coordinator for the upcoming basketball events at the Dome. He said he will start devoting the bulk of his time to the event at least two years in advance.

Though no reimbursement is guaranteed, the university received a $200,000 honorarium from the NCAA after the 1992 Final Four.

Peter Hedlund, director of hospitality for the host committee, said hotels would benefit most.

“Approximately 50 percent of the business will be hotel-related,” Hedlund said. “The rest breaks down very evenly among several factions.”

Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, said the Dome would be set up for 23,000 “excellent to adequate” seats, and there will be 27,000 additional seats “so more fans can at least participate.”

The Minnesota Vikings relinquished their rights to 300 suites in the basketball viewing area.

“We needed to offer those suites to the NCAA to secure the bid,” Lester said.

The University of South Florida will be the host of the St. Petersburg event in 1999. The other three tournaments awarded Thursday have combined hosts. The Southwest Conference will host the San Antonio event. Butler University and the Midwestern Collegiate Conference will co-host at Indianapolis. Georgia Tech and the Metro Conference will co-host at Atlanta.

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